The button hole stitch consists of upper side tacking stitches T1, a lower side tacking stitches T2, left side stitches T3 and right side stitches T4 surrounding a button hole H as shown in FIG. 1.
There have been proposed various types of electrically operated sewing machines which provide a number of patterns a zig zag sewing. However, in the conventional zig zag sewing machines, when sewing a button hole, an operator operates one of the select switches corresponding to said upper side tacking stitches T1 first, after the tacking stitches T1 are completed the operator must operate other select switch corresponding to the left side stitches T3. In a similar manner as described above, the operator must operate different select switches for the lower tacking stitches and the right side stitches.
Such operation is troublesome for the operator.